Should the Future of Education Include Mandatory Covid-19 Vaccinations?
Loraleigh Cantu, Contributor
Covid-19 has disrupted our lives in numerous ways. People have had to adapt to wearing masks, social distancing and participating in online school. Many are calling this the “new normal.” And in this new normal many people are returning to school and work knowing the danger that is still out there.
The possible light at the end of the tunnel, the Covid-19 vaccination, has already been distributed to over a million people, but what about those who simply don’t want the shot?
In order to make our schools as safe as possible, students and staff should be required to receive both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine before returning to campus next year.
Covid-19 spreads rapidly and by getting the vaccination, you are not only keeping yourself safe, but you are keeping everyone around you safe as well. The Covid-19 vaccination has two doses, you get the first dose and then three weeks later you receive the second dose. Receiving the vaccination does not guarantee that you will not get the coronavirus, but it will make you far less likely to get sick, or carry the virus to others.
Many people believe that once you get the first dose of the vaccination, you can go back to normal life, but it is important to get both shots, and to continue to follow all other safety guidelines. If students and staff receive the vaccination it should still be a requirement to wear masks on campus and socially distance.
If everyone that is returning to in-person learning got the vaccination and still wore their mask, washed their hands, and practiced social distancing we could create the safest possible environment in which to learn. We could reduce the spread of Covid-19, and possibly even save countless lives. Mandating vaccination the same way we do with many other communicable diseases is the smart thing to do. It’s the safe thing to do. It’s the right thing to do. And if we ever want to get back to the “old normal” it’s the only thing to do.
